Stoneworking machine



D. COLLINS STONEWORKIING MACHINE May 19, 1925.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb, 14, 1924 Java; fls C0; my 8 abhor/1 my May19, 1925.

D. COLLINS STONEWORKING MACHINE Filed Feb 14. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 10 6170001. I76 6'0; 1. m/s

Gbbo M my" May 19, 1925. 1,53 ,622

D. COLLINS STONEWORKING MCI- IND Filed Feb. 14. a Sheets-Sheet s ,5 WJOUGLHS C'OL/J/YS Gbbou m Patented May 19 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DOUGLAS COLLINS, OF SALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA.

STONEWORKING MACHINE.

Application filed February 14, 1924. Serial No. 692,769.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, DOUGLAS COLLINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salisbury, in the county of Rowan and State of NorthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStoneworking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improve ments in stone working machinesof the multiple spindle or gang type, and the invention as hereindescribed and illustrated is es pecially adapted for use in themanufacture of Durax paving blocks. It will be understood however thatthe principles of the invention may be embodied in machines adapted forother uses where surface treatment of stone is necessary.

In the manufacture of pavin blocks of the well known Durax type, a on eor chunk of granite or other hard stone measuring approximately twentysix inches is obtained from the quarry. In carrying out my inventionthis chunk is drilled toprepare it for the use of wedges, and it isgrooved or traced on one or more surfaces in order that the chunk may bebroken by sledge hammer blows into rectangular slabs. These slabs arethen grooved or traced at equidistant lines by a machine embodying myinvention and then the grooved slab is broken into small cubes, as by asledge hammer. These small cubes are finally broken by any suitablemachine into the commercial paving blocks or stones.

So far as I am aware the chunks and slabs above referred to haveheretofore been drilled and grooved by hand or manual use of drills andchisels resulting in long and tedious expenditure of time and labor. Bythe utilization of my invention as embodied in several modificationsthereof a series of holes is first drilled in the chunk; then the chunkis grooved or tracedon one or more surfaces by the operation of a seriesof ('hisels moving in a vertical plane; and after the traced chunk hasbeen broken into slabs in any suitable manner, these slabs are groovedor traced by the operation of a series of chisels traversingthe slab ina horizontal plane.

After the chunk has been drilled and grooved or traced, this twenty-sixinch cube is broken into four slabs twenty-six inches square and six andone half inches thick. Each slab is then grooved or traced in order thatit may be broken into sixteen cubes of six and o-ne half by six and onehalf inches, and finally each of these cubes is broken into pavingstones in the form of three and a quarter inch cubes.

The machines in which I have embodied my invention are designed tosimultaneously drill a series of holes, and to simultaneously cut ortrace a series of parallel grooves in a face of a chunk and in the faceof a slab, in such manner that the chunk and the slab may be broken withaccuracy and uniformit By the use of these machines embodying myinvention a material saving in both time and labor is secured, and thecost of production of the paving blocks is substantially reduced.

My invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts relating to the adjusting and operating mechanism of these severalmachines, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated three exemplificationsof my in vention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in amultiple drilling machine; a machine for cutting vertically arrangedgrooves; and a machine for cutting horizontally arranged grooves;according to the best mode I have thus far devised for the applicationof the principles of my invention. 1

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of the machine for tracing orohiselling grooves on lines in the horizontal surface of a slab.

Figure 2 is a front elevation. of this machine.

Figure 3 is a detail view partly in section showing the gang of chiselsin operative po sit-ion.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view at line 4-4 of Figure 2.

' Figure 5 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, of themachine for tracing or grooving the chunk in vertical lines.

Figure 6 is a detail plan View partly in section, at line 66 of Figure5. i

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the mul tiple drilling machineembodying my inven tion.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of a chunk or cube of stone sho-wing theCl-I'l'll3l10l6S sand traced lines thereon.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the four slabs broken fromthechunk,showing the traces or grooves thereon.

Figure 10 is a detail plan view .of-Ut'he sup porting frame for themachine tools, parts being shown in section for convenience ofillustration.

Before'tlre chunks and slabs are traced-or grooved they are marked withsuit-a ble lines, and thenthe grooves areformed-inthe-faces of thechunks and slabs along theselines. In the preferred manner,of-utilizing'my-invention I employ an industrial railway track '1 andasuitable number of cars or trucks 2 upon which the chunks 3 and slabs 4tare placed ,fortransportation and for-the drilling and cutting orgrooving operations of the successive machines hereinafter re ferred to.

The car is provided with a'bed of sand for supporting the stone and thebody ofthe car is swiveled on its truck so that it-m-ay swing in ahorizontal plane on its center, for thepurpose of presenting variousfaces of a stoneto amachine.

The machine for tracing or cutting vertical grooves on the chunk ofstone or cube, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and twill first bedescribed. In this machine, as well as'in the other two machineshereinafter referred to, three nachine'tools of well known type [areused, employing a motive fluid as air or steam, and for convenience ofdescrip tion these machinetools maybe referred-to as steam-operated.Each machine'tool'has a standard cylinder 5, which in.this case isdesigned to operate a bit or chisel :6 which is reci roca tedlongitudinally of the cylinder, and the admission of motive fluid orsteam to the cylinder 'is provided for as'indicated at T. To in'cvcntdisplacemento f'the bit or tool, a light spring 8 is used to retain itin relation to the machine tool, and abeveled cutting edge 9 isfashioned on the bit or chisel for tracing or cutting a groovein theface of the stone. Thethree chisels operate simultaneously and they cutparallel grooves in the faces of the chunks and slabs as indicated.

As illustratedin Figures Ithrough 4 the inachinetools are locatedin ave-rtical'p'lane and the chisels reciprocate in the vertical alan'eunder pressure from the interior of the respective cylinders 5.

The-machine tools are supported for bodily vertical movement for thepurpose'of adj usting themto their work by a horizontally disposedsupporting frame, and the machine tools are supported in this frame insuch manner that they are capable of a bodily movement in a horizontalplane to cause the chisels to traverse the face of the slab and cut thetransversely extending grooves therein.

Thus in the three exemplifications of the invention the machine toolsare adapted for bodily movementinboth-ahorizontal and a vertical plane.

'iIIl .Figrn'es 1 through at the supporting frame for the three machinetools comprises three vertically disposed and spaced bushings 10 for thetool cylinders 5, and these bushings are rigidly'conneoted by a-horizontalfibar 11. "A-guide frame 12 extends fromt-he s'uppoitingframe andis fashioned with a guide sleeve 13 f0-r the several bits or Chisels.

At the endso'f the supporting frame are fashioned slotted plates 1-4which are connected with a relatively -movab-le yoke 15,

andguide bolts 'IGan'd pins 17 of the yoke are adapted to slideiii-these slotted plates as best-- seen in Figure This yoke is designedas a support for the machine-tool operating devices, each of whichcomprises a bar 18 extendingffrom a cross platj19-and passing through abearing hole-20 m the yoke. A spring 21 isinterposed between the crossplate and the yoke, and each bar is fashioned with an end socket-head 22 .to fit over and-engage the standard forn ofhandl-e-hea'd 23 of themachine tool. Themotivefluid for the series of machine tools iscontrolledby a control lever 24. having a supporting pivot 25 andpivotedat 26 to-the cross plate. Bracket 26 which is attached tonne ofthebushings 10 is adapted to supportthe COlltl'Ol lGVQl'B'flIKl theusual pawl and ratchetdevice 26 is utilized. to hold the control'leverin adjusted position. Byma-nipnlating the=lever 2i admission ofmotivefluid=to-the cylinders 5 is controlled. and asimultaneous(re-operation ofthc machinetools is-secu1.'ed.-forthcpurpose of reciprocating-the chisels.

v.The supportingframe is-reciprocable in a horizontal planet-o causet-hechisels-to trace or cut grooves acrossthe top surface of the slab "l,and therefore'the supporting frame is fashioned in*the form o'flacarriage with a pair of side two-wheel trucks as 27 which restuponandroll ove-the spaced tracks or guiden'ays' QSe f-the channel sidebeams 29.

' The carriage with'the machine tools may be caused to reciprocate inthe channel side beams by manual power applied to the tongueilOfixed tothe frame bar 11 in suitablemanner and extending jforwa rd ly inposition "for ready access by the operator of the machine.

Thesechannelbea-ms are supported or suspended by a pair of oppositelyarranged angular'side arms'31 which are secured as by bolts to theflanges 32 of a vertically movable head 33. As best seen in Figure 8this vertically movable head is fashioned with a gudgeon 34 slidable inthe socket 35 of the hollow bearing head 36, and the hearing head isfashioned with an integral top bolt 37 projecting upwardly in alinementwith the gudgeon 34. The belt passes through a swivel head 38 and isprovided with a securing nut 39.

The gudgeon is fashioned with a pair of oppositely extending cross bars40 which project through the vertical slots 41 in the socket head forthe purpose of guiding and retaining the gudgeon and the frames andmachine tools supported thereby when these parts are lowered orelevated.

The vertical movement of the gudgeon is accomplished by means of anadjusting lever 42 which is pivoted at 43 to the sockethead 36. Thisadjusting lever is provided with a counterweight 44, and the lever,which is slotted at 45. is pivoted on one of the lateral bars of thegudgeon, and retained thereon by a nut 46. A well known type of latchdevice indicated at 47 with a rack segment 48 is utilized for holdingthe adjusting lever in adjusted position.

The bearing head 38 at the top of the machine from which the operatingparts are suspended, is a part of a flexible or foldable and extensibleframe which comprises the arm 49 integral with the head 38 and pivotedat 50 to a second arm 51 which in turn is pivoted through its bearinghead 52 on the top bolt 53 of the standard or stationary post 54 that issupported on a suitable foundation and braced to withstand the strainimposed by the weight of the operating parts of the suspended machine.The flexible frame is foldable or extensible to bring the operatingparts of the machine to desired position within limits, and the bearinghead 38 is made rigid with the bolt 37 by means of the set screw 55 tohold the suspended machine in adjusted position.

From the above description taken in connection with my drawings it willbe apparcnt that the entire apparatus has a swiveled support from thepost 54 through the horizontally extending foldable arms 49 and 51, andthe suspended machine is movable through a horizontal plane withrelation to the standard. 54.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the machine is shown in normal positionwith relation to the slab to be traced or grooved, but before operatingthe machine the hand grasp ing the handle 30 pushes the carriage to theright in Figure 1 bringing the chisels at the right edge of the slab. Bypulling down on the adjusting lever 42, the gudgeon 34 and the entireapparatus depending therefrom is lowered until the chisels 9 rest uponthe top face ofthe slab, and the chisels receive the weight of themachine tools which is thus transferred from the bushings 10 of thesupporting frame or carriage. A continued pull on the adjusting levermoves the suspended parts, except the machine tools, downwardly, thebushings 1O sliding on the cylinders 5 a distance equal to the depth ofthe grooves to be cut in the face of the stone, and the machine toolsare ready for operation. The lever42 is locked in position to hold thesuspended frame and carriage against vertical displacement, and then theoperating lever 24 is grasped and pulled downwardly to force the toolhandles 23 into the cylinders 5 to admit steam or motive fluid to thecylinders at 7 from the usual flexible pipes or hose. The admission ofmotive fluid to the cylinders causes the operation of the chisels with areciprocatory motion in a vertical plane. The operating lever may belocked in position, or it may be retained by one hand while the otherhand grasps the handle 30, and as the chisels reciprocate and cut theslab the carriage is drawn forwardly and pushed rearwardly as required.In this manner a series of accurately spaced parallel grooves is cutinto the upper face of the slab 4 which grooves will act as breakinglines for the slab when struck by the sledge hammer after the tracingoperation.

After the series of lines has been traced across the face of the slab,the rotatable car 2 with its slab may be turned at right angles, and thetracing operation repeatechthis second operation cutting a series ofparallel lines intersecting the first series and extend ing at rightangles thereto.

The initial step in the process of breale ing up the chunk or cube 3 isperformed by the drilling machine illustrated in Figure 1.

The drilling machine is designed to drill I the three holes in the chunkas indicated in Figure 8 and the machine embodies modified forms of theinvention as disclosed in the horizontal tracing machine heretoforedescribed. In the drilling machine how. ever the bevel edged chisels 6are displaced by the drill bits 57, the machine tools being suspended asusual by their heads above the bushings 10 of the supporting frame 11.The admission of motive fluid to the machine tools is controlled by theoperating lever 24 in. manner similar to the control of the horizontaltracing machine.

. A modified arrangement of the adjustingmechanism includes theadjusting lever'42 which is fashioned with a rectangular yoke 58 throughwhich the pivot bars 59 of the gudgeon, as 34, project, and the lever ispivoted to the slotted, socket-head 86 at 60, back of the arms 59 inFigure 7. The shape of the arms 61 depending from the head 33 differsfrom the arms 31 of the horizontal CPI Cir

preferably are fashioned by machine tools embodied in a verticallyreciprocating machine as distinguishedfrom the horizontallyreciprocating carriage of the machine of Figs. 1 through 43.

In .Figurcs 5 and 6 the modified arrangement of the principles of myinvention is adaptedto the machine for cutting vertical grooves-in thechunk or stone cube 3, which as indicated in Figure 5 is positioned onan elevated portion of the industrial railway track and supported onthecar 2- Any other suitable-arrangement of the chunk with relation to thevertical grooving machine may be adopted, it being essential however asherein exemplified that the machine tools he first elevated and thenpermitted to move downwardly by gravity for the purpose of tracing orcuttingthe. grooves in the sideof the chunk. If necessary the machinetools 'may be reciprocated in a vertical plane to make the cuts orgrooves to the required idepth,.and I therefore do not wish to beunderstood as limiting this adaptation of my invention to a single,downward, working movement of the machinetools.

Tliebeveled edge chisels 9 are used as in "the horizontal cuttingmachine, and the admission of motive fluid or steam to the ma,

chine tools is controlled by the operating lever 2-1 which is pivotallysupported in brackets or arms 62 attached to the cross bar 11 of themachineetool supporting-frame. The supporting frame and the chisels areadjusted-to operative position with relation tothe chunk of stone by anoperatingor adjusting lever63 located below the supportthe function of asupport or base for the apparatus. Motive fluid is admitted to thecylinder at its lower end through the pipe 71, and a valve72 therein maybe used to admit fluid pressureto the cylinder, as well as for thepurpose of permitting discharge of the pressure therefrom when themachine is to be lowered, proper vents being provided for the cylinderto permit reciprocating movement of the piston 73 in the cylinder. .Thepiston 73 has a rectilinear movement in the cylinder and its stem 7awhich projects upwardly through the upper head 7 5 of the cylinder isfashioned with a horizontally disposed, flat, circular disk or head 76,cast integrally or otherwise made rigid with the central bushing -10'andcross bar 11 of the machine-tool supporting-frame. At its opposite endsthe cross bar of the frame is fashioned with a pair of horizontallyextending guide heads 77 with longitudinal slots 78 opening at the outerfaces of the respective heads.

The guide slots are designed to accomanodate a pair of horizontallydisposed slide blocks 79 which are adapted to act asguides for theslotted heads ofthe supporting frame when said frame and the machinetools are beingfadjusted in a horizontal plane with relation to thestone chunk, through the medium of the adjusting lever 63 as de scribed.

Each of the guide blocks is fashioned with an angularly disposed,integral slide block as 80, preferably alined with thecross bar 11 ofthe supporting frame andprojecting outwardly therefrom. These slideblocks are retained withinand slidable in the grooves or vertical ways81 of the upright arms of a rectangular frame 82 which is rigid with thehead 75 of the cylinder 70. Thus it will be apparent that bymanipulating the adjust ing lever 63 the machine tools and theirsupporting frame may be adjusted to operative position with relation tothe-adjoining vertical face of the-chunk 3 in Figure 5. Then the machinetools may be 0perated by manipulating the lever 24, and upon theadmission of motive fluid through pipe 71 toithe cylinder 70, beneaththe piston head 73, the operating parts of the -machine will beelevated. ,This upward movement of the operating parts-of the machine,while the chisels 9 are being actuated, will cause the formation ofgrooves in the face of the chunk of stone along predetermined andindicated lines, and a second or return move- .ment of the. apparatus,along the same lines,

may be accomplished by cutting off the supply of motlve fluid to thecylinder, and permitting the weight 'of the suspended apparatus, imposedon the piston head, to force the piston and its stem downwardly into thecylinder- Or if desired, the apparatus may be elevated by motive fluidpressure before the .machine tools are operated, and then, when thepressure'of motive fluid is relieved below the piston head 73, theweight of the suspended or elevated apparatus will causev its downwardmovement. With the machine tools in operation, this downward movement ofthe apparatus causes the chisels to groove the chunk along the markedlines In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 10 meansarelprovided for independent motion of the several machines or machinetools in order that the tools may be accommodated to any irregularitieson the face of the stone being worked. The cross plate is fashioned withthree spaced socket heads 18 axially alined with the respective machinetools and these socket heads project through openings in the yoke 15,the springs 21 being interposed between the cross plate and the yoke andcoiled about the socket heads and performing their usual functions.

These sockets or socket heads 18 receive and retain the ends of bars 22which are alined with the socket heads and attached to the socket heads22 that engage the handies or handle-heads 23 of the respective machinetools. Between the heads 22 and a washer 23 (which washer is loose andslidable on the bar 22) a spring 19 is inter posed to act as a cushionfor each machine tool. One end of each spring 19 is at tached to awasher and the other end of each spring bears against a socket head 22thus exerting its tension against the machine tool. By this arrangementof parts the springs afford a resilient cushion or means for urging thetools against the face of the stone being worked.

It will thus be noted that each of the machine tools is capable ofindependent movement relatively to its supporting bushing 10 along itslongitudinal axis whether used in a vertical stone working machine or ina horizontal stone working machine. Thus when placed in operativeposition for chiseling the face of a chunk or a slab, the in dividualtools are capable of movement against the tension of the springs 19. Ifthe carriage is being moved horizontally or the supporting frame 11 isbeing moved vertically and one of the chisels encounters an elevation ordepression on the face of the stone, the chisel and its machine are heldto operative position. In the cas of an elevation the machine tool willgive against compression of the spring 19 and if a depression isencountered the machine tool will be forced by the tension of the springto cause the chisel to follow the depression. Th chisel howevercontinues to reciprocate as it follows the contour of the face of thestone being worked and cuts the groove or traces the groove in the faceof the stone.

The details of operation of the machines may be arranged by the operatorto insure greatest efficiency, the required number of traversingmovements of the chisels across the chunk or slab may be varied, and thenumber of faces of the chunks or slabs fashioned with the grooves willalso be determined by the operator, to insure correct breaking of thestone by hammer blows.

While I have illustrated the use of three machine tools of standard orwell known make, it will be understood that the number of tools used maybe increased or diminished, and the machine tools may be of anycommercial type adapted for the puriose. 1 Objects other than stones maybe worked by the utilization of the chisels, and articles other thanpaving blocks produced from these objects, and changes and alterationsmay be made within the scope of my claims without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination in a stone workingmachine with a plurality of machine tools and a relatively movablesupporting frame therefor, of means for moving said frame and machinetools to adjusted position, and subsequently moving said frame withrelation to the tools for gaging the cut of the tools.

2. The combination with a plurality of machine tools and a relativelymovable supporting frame therefor, of means for mov ing said frame andmachine tools to operative position and subsequently moving said framewith relation to the tools for gaging the cut of the tools, and meansfor simultaneously controlling the operation of said machine tools. v

3. The combination with a plurality of machine tools, a relativelymovabl frame, and a support, of an adjusting lever pivoted on saidsupport and frame whereby the frame and tools may be adjusted tooperative position and the frame subsequently moved relatively to thetools for gaging the out of th tools.

4. In a stone working machine the combination with a pluality of machinetools, a relatively movable frame, and a support, of an adjusting leverpivoted on said support and frame whereby the frame and machine toolsmay be adjusted to operative position and the frame subsequently movedrelatively to the machine tools to gage the out of the tools,'and meansfor controlling the operation of the machine tools.

In a stone working machine the combination with a plurality of motivefluid operated machine tools and an adjustable supporting frametherefor, of a relatively movable yoke carried by said frame, a crossplate having a series of control bars guided in saidyoke and operativeconnection-shetween saideross plate and yoke,- and means for actuatingsaid crossplate for co-action of "the control bars with said, machinetools to control the admission of motive fin-id thereto.

6.111 a stone working machinetheyconrbination with a pluralityofmaeh-ine tools and their supporting frame having-slottedplates, of ayokesupportedinsaidslotted:

platesand movable relatively thereto,

cross plate having a seriesofi-control barsgurded' in said yoke andsprings interposed between said cross plate and yoke, and

means for actuatingsaid cross plate for co-action of the control barswith" said'machine tools to controladmission of" motive fluid thereto:

7 Th'eeombination in a: stone working'ma chine-witha suspending socket-head having lateral. slots, of a supporting frame l'iavin'g a"crosshea-d and 'a: gudgeon'supporterl in said socket-head cross arms onsaid gudgeon,

and a lever pivotall-y connectedtoone ofsaid arms. for moving said frameas described.

8. The combination with a plurality of machine. tools, and: a:supporting carriage therefor, of means: for moving said carriage andmachine tools to operative position in a line at an angle to" themovement of the carriage and for subsequently"movingsaid carriagealongthe axial lines of the machine tools for-,ga-ging the cut ofthe said:tools.

9. In a; stone working machine thepconrbination with averticallyadjustable head and arms and horizontally disposed tracks carriedby saidarms, ofa wheeled carriage sup-portedon said tracks; a pluralityofimachine toolsisupported' in the carriage; and

adjusting mechanism for moving-said. head" to bring the carriage andmachine, tools to operative position and for subsequently mamas moving;the carriage with relation to the tools" for gaging the cutof the tools.

10. The combination; with a verticallyadj'ustableframe having tracks anda horizontally movable carriage on said tracks, of

a machine tool supported in said carriage,

means for moving the frame carriage and tool to operative position andfor sub sequently movingsaidcarriage and frame with relationto-thetoolfor-gaging the out ofthe tool;

11.. In a-stone Working mach ne the combi'nationwith a, supporting;frame having a series of-spacedbushings, ofa plurality of machine toolseaeh lraving'a, head for supporting a, tool in a; bushing, and 1meansfor movingrsaidi frame and" machine tools to operative position and forsubsequently mov-ing said fframe-with relation to the tools for, gagingthe out of the tools.

19'. Innastoneworking, maclrine the combination-witlra supporting framehaving a series ofspaeed bushings;of'a plurality ofnraehinetoolseach-having-a head for sup- )orti-nga-tool ,ina bushing,across head and means thereon for suspending said sup po-rtingframe; andmeans for moving -said' DOUGLAS- COLLINS.

